Welcome to the official blog for Expedition 13A. We'll be keeping you posted on all the happenings of life on expedition from 10th January to 11th April. Check back and please send us your comments, it's free and easy. ¡Pura vida!

Thursday, 7 March 2013

X-Ray 4: H20 the basics

Ella-Kate of X-Ray 4 has reported on Carara National Park and the valuable environmental conservation project they are undertaking:

Our work for this phase in Carara National Park is contributing to conservation efforts, improvement of the tourist experience, making life better for the rangers and helping to combat a huge problem in the park. Carara National Park is affected by the lack of a reliable water source, currently the water for all of the buildings in the park comes from 2 natural
springs. These have served their purpose well but they are now drying up and
are unreliable. Therefore we are pitting our community learnt pick-axe
skills, their trek learnt trail planning skills and the enthusiasm of the
explorers against the jungle.

A guided tour of the Park by Jared, only 1% of Carara Park is open to visitors, X-Ray 4 are incredibly privileged to be living in this protected part of Costa Rica

The aim is to build a trench so a new water
pipe can be installed. Our team is bonding well even though our work was
interrupted by a group of spider monkeys. Seeing these animals in their natural
environment has really helped motivate usand remind us of our purpose here which is to conserve the
environment.

Jared a Carara Ranger, thanked us for our work which is incredibly important for environmental conservation

Our work here has a great local impact,
Jared one of the rangers has expressed that without Raleigh to build the trenches the already
stretched resources would be pushed further as the rangers would have to dig
it. If the park loses its water supply entirely it is likely it would close as
tourists would no longer be able to visit due the lack of amenities, water is
needed to drink, toilets wouldn’t work, volunteers wouldn’t be able to come
either and rangers couldn’t live.

X-Ray 4 bonding

Our pipe will guarantee water for the
volunteers who work hard to maintain the park it will also guarantee water for
the rangers who protect the park and the wildlife while providing invaluable
information and education. The biggest development is that it will allow water
sources to be installed along the new disabled access trail and existing path,
guaranteeing water for visitors.

While our trench seems like a small
development, it is helping protect the future of this awe inspiring natural
part of the country. Globally Costa Rica is providing an excellent example of
sustainable development and conservation. It is a small country but proving its
power through conservation of rainforests and the environment. Carara National
Park is a perfect example of the importance of volunteers and the changes they
can make.

Hi Conrad, This is Dad with just a quick hello so you know we are thinking about you (as if we could not think of you every minute). All's well here. Mum and I went to Hugo's parent-teacher evening tonight. They now do set times with a bell that rings every five minutes. It was like speed dating. He got generally good feedback, but comments about lack of organisation all round. He got ecstatic praise from Mr. Langley and Mr. Scott (Scotty) thinks he's a shining light in art. So not bad at all.Everyone asked after you - lots of the teachers and every other parent we met there. All full of admiration and warmth (lots of "ah, bless" sort of comments).

Another message for Conrad Hagger - X-Ray 8Hi Conrad, again,Sorry, my iPad froze before I signed off my last message. Just to say we love you, we're empathising with your toil (yeah, right, as if) and we all miss you like mad. Over half way now, were counting the days.Lots of love,DadXxx

Hope everything is going well out there and your tan is still going to make me jealous when you come home! I miss you so much, and it's really weird going to Bristol without you there, can;t wait for you to come back, it's not actually that long now! I'm just yet again dying under essays, writing about Vietnam and the social impact of WW1 on British society, so i'm clearly having the most fun out of the two of us... I got some results back the other day, got 71 & 74 in my two America essays (so 72.5((which is a first)) overall in the module), and i got a 67 (2:1) in an HIST151 which i have an exam for in the summer, so thats a good safety net kind of thing :) hope at least some of that made sense.

Other than that, chilling with my life really. Dido's got a massive plastic conical collar on, was being a clumsy bitch or something. Planning to see your family if i have time when i visit home this weekend if i have time. I'm only going for the last day of the 6 nations, Wales vs England, couldn't leave Jo on her own.. been keeping up with Lin on facebook and stuff, everyone's cool.

Hope you're having the time of your life darling, I'm so proud of you.

For Amelia with XRAY 4.Hi darling! Finally some news about your group and even a couple of photos!I read the blog and am elated that you are digging a trench for a water pipe - I can't thing of anything more worthwhile than drinking water - you know how much I value the provision of clean drinking water and now I have answers to some of the questions I raised in one of my older comments about water supplies.Keeping the trails through the national park open is so important and Costa Rica is setting a great example in sustainability and conservation.A bit of news from here :- we are all well and totally busy. Marchesa will be coming for a visit on 18th March so I'm looking forward to that.I'm still remembering to charge your phone! This evening we are going out with Susan and Alan who have asked after you and wish you well.Also Carole sends you her love -still waiting for Paul and Kate's baby to arrive! Evelyn sends her love - she is always rushing around but we managed a 2 minute phone call! Daniel is well despite being under a constant barrage of exams.Colin of course sends his love and is well.That's it for now -will go to phone company to see why you can't phone from there but if it can't be done never mind -just text to my landline or Colin's mobile.Lots of love from all of us Mumxxxxxx

X ray 1 Nick VarneyHey nick hope the walk is going well. I am getting confirmed tomorrow and I will be thinking of you. Ipswich are 4 points clear of relegation and all is looking good. They drew today at Peterborough and Man U are 12 points clear.i will try and blog tomorrow after Man U play Chelsea. Miss you, love you lots herks. Ps Man U out of Champions league bad ref decision Sir Alex V unhappy

To Alex Bailey-Smith X-Ray 4Sorry it has been so long since I posted, not good wifi when we were away.Spider monkeys sound great; have you heard the howler monkeys early in the morning? Have you had any problems with leeches? They're persistent little critters, cling on for ages.I'm making chocolate brownies at the moment-trying to avoid going out into the cold. Have been back a week and haven't seen the sun for more than 5 minutes. It was a good plan you going in wintertime!The water project looks a good one, hard work wielding a pickaxe to dig the trenches though. I guess the trek will be the next thing, at least your feet will be used to the boots by now.All well here, saw mum last week and I'm going for a walk with her in a couple of days if the snow isn't too deep. Toby has a very short haircut but he doesn't seem too bothered about the cold. Have you made plans for when you finish in Costa Rica, are you still off to Mexico. Saw 'On the road", the Jack Keroac movie- Mexico looks good.Hannah is on the phone so will sign off now...Hasta luego, love Sue

Hi Alex - we are enjoying the pics which show us a bit of what you are doing, I don't expect you have seen them. Hope all's well, we're missing you loads. I've not yet passed my driving test, but hey maybe next time. Recently heard Daniel Yeadon is getting married in singapore. I got a B in my January psychology exam so im pretty chuffed about that. It keeps bloody snowing, at really innapropriate times but Toby doesnt share my irritation due to his being a bubs. -Hugo x Bryony Perks is supposed to be in Costa Rica with you, that is Graham's brother's daughter as in Harriet and Bryony so keep a look out for her when you get back to base. Sorry to say Clary not gd. Just been walking on Longshaw in the snow with Bella and Alex - Bella chased 2 huge stags! it was beautiful out there but very cold. Very strange without you. Lots of love Mum x

We were just checking out your team pics. Looks like fun over there (but how they knew the difference between you and the spider monkeys we don't know!). Hope you are having a blast. Looking forward to hearing all about it when you get back. Take LOTS of photos. Everyone at Pass IT On send their best wishes. Get blogging, young man! All the best - Sandy

Hi Amelia X-Ray 4, I hope you are having a great time. Mum always asks about you. These experiences that you are having are priceless and what you are doing there is fantastic. Raleigh is a fantastic charity and you are lucky to have had the opportunity to do this. Enjoy every moment! The people who you are with look awesome. I have sorted out your accommodation at BGP you have a room- your first choice one so it should be in a very focal point of the location. You have a lot to look forward to and a lot to still enjoy there! Speak soon,Daniel

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The 13A Expedition blog

Welcome to the Raleigh blog for Costa Rica and Nicaragua. You can view our posts, videos and photos (click on them to enlarge) and browse through our blog archive. Let us know what you think and you can also send messages to your loved ones and friends and we'll pass them on when we visit the project sites. So dive in and explore...

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Raleigh Lingo

Copy that?

Sometimes our Raleigh technical terms can be a tad confusing so we've put together a glossary for you blog followers. This will appear as a quick-reference section on the right-hand column so you can translate our Tico-terms into something a bit more palatable. And for those keen to brush up their Central American Spanish, we've included some handy translations. Here's a few to get you started...

Alpha, X-Ray and Zulu groups(Grupos Alfa, X-Ray y Zulu)The official name for project groups during the phases of CR&N 13A. Alpha will be out on project from 3rd to 23rd February, X-Ray from 24th February to 15th March and Zulu from 17th March to 5th April. Project groups are allocated during induction

BashaJungle ‘bed’: consists of a tarpaulin for shelter, a hammock and mosquito net. A basha is hung up between two trees and supported by rope, bamboo and canvas straps

BodegaA Spanish word meaning store or warehouse

BravoA term of endearment for our hard-working Land Rovers. The four vehicles are officially, and imaginatively named Bravo One, Two, Three and Four

C.A.T.I.E.The agricultural and development research institute on whose campus Fieldbase is situated. Find out more at http://www.catie.ac.cr/

Changeover (Cambio de Fase)Two day period where all staff and Venturers return from their project sites for some respite before they are all reallocated and sent off to do it all over again...

Chicas, ChicosSpanish term meaning girls (chicas) or guys (chicos) or both (chicos aswell). As in “Vamonos chicos!” or “Let’s go guys!”

Craic A way to gauge how people are feeling, usually measured from 0 to 90. If your ‘craic’ is high, you’re pretty happy. If you announce a low craic, people will probably fix you up with an energy bomb and a nice big hug

CR&N 13ACosta Rica and Nicaragua expeditions 13A

Day Leader (DL) (Líder del día)Every day on project, one of the Team is designated DL – they are in charge of the day, including organising the day’s briefing, keeping group morale up, dealing with any problems, sticking to schedule and de-briefing at the end of the day. The DL role rotates round the whole group so everyone takes a turn

Energizer (Actividad Levanta Muertos)An activity to gather the group together and raise energy levels. Can be used at the beginning of the day, or whenever a quick pick-me-up is required

Energy bombs (Explosión de azucar)A trekking treat – mix together oats, raisins, condensed milk and chocolate powder and roll into little balls of gooey goodness to power you through the day

Fieldbase (FB) (Campo Base)Refers to the Raleigh ‘office residence’ which is where the Fieldbase staff eat, sleep and work, whilst organising the expedition, manning the radios round the clock, supporting the projects, planning transport and logistics, keeping tabs on the finances and much, much more

Field Base Volunteer Managers (Equipo Logístico Voluntario del Campo Base)Volunteer support staff for the expedition. The team looks after the ‘behind the scenes’ of the expedition and ensures everything runs smoothly. This consists of three permanent staff members - the Country Director, Country Project Manager and Country Expedition Manager - plus a team of volunteer staff including the, Medic, Photographer, Administrator, Finance Officer, three Logistics (logs) team members and the Communications Officer

Longdrop (Letrina)The camp loo. Literally a deep hole in the ground, it is one of the first tasks to complete when setting up jungle camp for obvious reasons! Short drops are similar, normally used for overnight stops when a shallower trench will suffice

Longs (Pantalones)From 6pm onwards, we all don long trousers and sleeves to discourage the bugs that aren’t deterred by DEET

MaxisShort for Maxi Pali, the stock-everything shop about a kilometer from Fieldbase where you can buy all those things you forgot/ran out of/lost

NicasAn affectionate term referring to the native population of Nicaragua

NinjaA popular game/energizer used by venturers and Project managers alike. Everyone stands in a circle and tries to hit the team members either side of them on the hand via a single ninja movements. Sound effects welcome

POPSLegendary milkshake and ice-cream parlour chain found all over Costa Rica – perfect for a sweet splurge

Pork and beans (Frijoles con cerdo)Another staple foodstuff for trekkers: tinned beans with a slightly sausage twang, served cold for lunch. Usually accompanied by dry cracker dust, sprinkled liberally on to the top. If you’re in a hurry, this can be consumed without cutlery straight from the can

Project Managers (PMs) (Guías)Project staff for the expedition. Each of the groups has at least two PMs who work with the Venturers to develop skills, lead projects and challenge themselves

Radio check (Chequeo de Radio)As well as a daily SITREP, all Alpha projects are required to complete a second radio call-in each day to check in, receive messages and report any developments

Review (Revisión)A round-up that assesses how everyone feels, what went well and what needs work. This is sometimes an ‘activity’, sometimes a chat around the campfire, or sometimes just a bit of time to reflect. It’s an important part of everyone’s personal development so we make sure it happens every day

Roadtrip (Paseo Volando Rueda)The logistics team and some of the Field Base team drive the Bravos on a loop round to each of the accessible project sites once per phase. They deliver kit, supplies, site visitors, messages from the blog and of course the all important post

Ropa AmericanaPurveyors of the finest second hand American threads. Perfect for fancy dress/obtaining that long coveted college sports jersey

SITREP (Reporte de la Situación)Literally Situation Report. A special radio message sent from the satellite project sites back to fieldbase once a day. It follows a certain format and includes all sort of handy information like where they are, what they’ve been up to, what they need and what they’re planning to do next

TangA fruity powder that is used to make squash. Jolly useful for taking away the chlorine taste of purified water

TicosAn affectionate term referring to the native population of Costa Rica

Venturers (Aventureros)Participants in the Raleigh expedition. Aged 17 to 24, they come in three varieties: Host Country Venturers (from Costa Rica and Nicaragua), Partnership Venturers (positive young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the UK who participate in Raleigh expeditions as part of a longer term development programme) and UK and International Fundraising Participants (who work hard to raise money to contribute towards the charities work and expenses in order to take part in the expedition)

Wash up (Revisión Final)The last few days of expedition, spent debriefing, returning equipment, performing skits, and most importantly enjoying the farewell party (tears alert)

Zero (Cero)A radio term that identifies the radio controller at Fieldbase. Fieldbase monitors the radios 24-7, listening out on three frequencies for calls from our satellite project sites. When the radio alarm sounds, we might answer something like this: “Hello unknown call sign, hello unknown call sign, this is Zero, this is zero, do you copy, OVER?”